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Verity Bennett

Dr Verity Bennett

Research Fellow

School of Social Sciences

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a Research Fellow in the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE), interested in multi-agency approaches to safeguarding children from harm. I am interested in developing statistical techniques and decision-making tools for professionals to help identify maltreatment and enable early intervention.

I am currently developing research studies in machine learning, computer vision and injury interpretation to help inform child protection processes.

I also have substantial experience in evaluating existing interventions, specialising in mixed-methods approaches to implementation and process evaluation, and impact analysis including:

  • an evaluation of Police in Schools, funded by the Youth Endowment Fund.
  • an investigation into the feasibility of using police administrative data to evaluate Action for Children’s Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service (SOCEIS) via a quasi-experimental design.
  • the Social Workers in Schools (SWIS) Trial, funded by the Department for Education. The SWIS Trial was a large-scale cluster randomised controlled trial across 21 local authorities in England which placed Social Workers in schools to improve how education and Children’s Social Care (CSC) respond to safeguarding concerns. 
  • the impact of implementing Schwartz Rounds in CSC.

I also have experience of working on a wide range of research projects in child health including: child protection, children's burns, community and online behaviour change interventions, identifying child maltreatment in health settings and the use of routine data in understanding healthcare service use by children and young people with cerebral palsy. I have a background in analysing complex quantitative datasets, and enjoy cross-disciplinary and mixed methods working.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Erthyglau

Gwefannau

Monograffau

Teaching

  • Social Work Research in Action (Doctor of Social Work and MSc Social Science Research Methods)
  • Lectures/seminars on social science research methods

Biography

Education

University College London (2009-2014), PhD Evolutionary Biology

The University of Machester (2007-2008), MSc Biomechanics: Distinction

The Unviersity of Manchester (2004-2007), BSc(Hons) Geography and Geology: First class

Academic positions

2024-present: Research Fellow, Cardiff University

2017-present: Research Associate, Cardiff University

2016-2017: Research Assistant, Cardiff University

Contact Details

Email BennettCV@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29206 87640
Campuses sbarc|spark, Floor 1, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Specialisms

  • children
  • Social work
  • Safeguarding
  • Injury prevention

External profiles